Loose leaf binder



@Ct. 9, 1934. J, R LAND 1,976,245

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Nov. 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 2% BY/Z 2v ATTORNEYS 0d. 9, 1934. J. R. NEWLAND LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Nov. 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NEYS 2 m, N W VR m w m C v1 m M m .7 MJ J v a w r -i J g VEQ @N N\ 4 A\F h I. ,..r.. 1 LET l r w Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE engagement of the coupling members, and parbers in an assembled position, and this irrespecbar connected to a coupling post, which part is LOOSE LEAF BINDER Jay Raymond Newland, Kalamazoo, Mich., as-

signor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y.

Application November 2, 1931, Serial No. 572,675

8 Claims. (Cl. 1298) This invention relates to loose leaf binders, and it has particular reference to the provision of means for locking in place certain of the elements "entering into the binder structure. it has heretofore been proposed to provide a binder in which the covers, binding posts, and leaves were secured together by means of coupling members swingably mounted on one portion of the binder and adapted to engage other portions normal positions. Such binders have been found useful and satisfactory for most purposes, but have been open to the objections that the binder would sometimes fall apart, because of the disticularly .when the leaf stack was of limited size, or when the coupling member was not sufficiently tightened. According to the present invention, provision is made for retaining the coupling memtive of the adjustment of the coupling pin or the number of leaves in the binder, so that a positive assembly may be had at all times. A typical embodiment of the invention, showing the application of its principles to one form of binder, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating the binder. 1

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a binder shown in cross-section.

ig. 3 is a front elevation of the binder.

Fig. 4 is a trans erse cross-sectional view of the binder with a stack of leaves indicated therein.

Fig. 5 is an under side view of a binder bar with coupling post locks mounted thereon.

As shown in Fig. 1, the binder includes top and bottom cover members 10 and 11, respectively provided with hinged marginal portions 12 and 13,

which are adapted to overlap each other to form The marginal portion 12 l a two-part back cover. is an angularly formed rigid member consisting of a flange 14 and a flange 15, which projects outwardly at right angles to the marginal portion 12,

so as to overlie the leaf stack in parallel relationship. A binder bar 16 is riveted or otherwise secured to the underside of the flange 15, and is so constructed as to retain a post bar 1'? and a coupling bar or post 18.

The portion 13 of the bottom cover 11 is also an angularly formed member; and it includes a flange 19 and a flange 21 which project outwardly there- 7 from-to overlie the leaf stack, in like manner to the flanges 15 and 14. A post bar 22 is secured to the upperside of the flange 21, and is so constructed as to receive a number of binding posts 23, 24, and the coupling posts 18. The posts 23 and 24 are shown as being permanently secured to the bar 22, and formed of a plurality of threaded sections which may be built up to provide posts of any given length, but it will be understood that, if desired, the posts may be made completely detachable, and that the bar 22 as well maybe maderemovable from the flange 21.

One way of making the post bar. detachable is shown by the structure of the bar 17, which is formed on its upper surface with spaced pins 25, which are adapted to seat in recesses 26 formed in the binder bar 16. With this construction, the post bar 17 may be removed when the binder is disassembled, to permit of the removal of the bar and leaves as a unit.

Mounted to project from the underside of the post bar 17 are spaced posts 27 and 28, which are similar in construction to the posts 23 and 24. These posts are intended to pass through aligned apertures in a stack of leaves, as illustrated in Fig. 4, in order to retain them in the binder. It will be understood, therefore, that when the parts are assembled as indicated in Fig. 4, and when the coupling posts are disengaged, the top cover member may be swung away from the leaf stack and the post bar 17, and the leaf stack, or a portion of the stack, may then be removed, or other leaves may be inserted at any desired point.

The retention of the leaves, bars and covers, in assembled relationship, to form a book, is effected by means of the coupling bars 18 and their associated parts. As shown in, Figs, 1 and 2, the coupling bars are hingedly mounted in slots 29 formed in each end of the binder bar 22, by means of inwardly projecting pintles 31 which engage apertures 32 formed in the coupling posts 18. The posts 18 are drilled and threaded at their free ends, to receive screws 33 formed with 5 knurled heads 34, so that the overall length of the coupling post may be varied to accommodate leaf stacks of various thicknesses. As will be observed from the drawings, the binder is assembled withth e leaves by placing the leaves on the back cover 11, with the posts 23 and 24 passing through the punohings in the margins of the sheets, and then laying the upper post bar 17 on the leaves, withits posts 2'7, 28, in others of the leaf punchings and disposing the front cover 10 over the assembly. The coupling posts 18 are then swung upwardly, and the shanks of the posts or screw threaded portions thereof enter into slots 35 which are formed in the ends of the binder The retention of each coupling post in its slot 35 is effected by the provision of a latch mechanism 36 (see Fig. 5) which comprises a double armed latch mounted on the end of the binder bar 16, and adjacent the slot 35, by means of a pin 37. Advantageously, the pin 37 is positioned in the longitudinal axis of the bar 16 and the slot 35, so that any tension exerted by the coupling post 18 in an outward direction will be directed through the center of the pin 37, and so avoid the creation of forces tending to rotate the latch 36. The latch 36 is formed with an outer arm 38 shaped like a hook to encircle the screw 33 of the post 18, and thereby provide a positive obstruction to the outward movement of the coupling post, when the arm 38 is engaged therewith. The inner arm 39 of the latch 36 is formed with a plane edge and an upwardly projecting flange 41, and is so dimensioned as to lie snugly in a recess or pocket 42, cut in the binder bar 16.- accordingly be observed that, when the coupling posts 18 are moved upwardly, so that the screws 33 lie in the slots 35, that the latches 36 may be rotated to close the open ends of the slots, and engage the screws 33, thereby preventing the accidental displacement of the posts and the falling apart of the binder. The flanges 41 then lie in the pockets 42, and present no rough edge in the binder bar 16, but the latches may be quickly rotated to release the coupling posts, by pulling them with the finger.

I am aware that in certain forms of binders heretofore employed, there have been used coupling posts such as the post 18, adapted to receive a screw such as the screw 33, which engaged in a slot such as the slot 35. In such binders, the retention of the coupling posts, in the slots was effected by screwing down the head of the screw to fit tightly on the top of the slotted bar, and by relying on the springiness or tension of the leaf stack to create a resistance against accidental displacement. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention provides for the retention of the posts by a more positive means, and, since the screws 33 are positively held by the hooks 38, it is not necessary to maintain the screws in a tightened position, and the possibility of the posts falling out when only a few leaves are in the binder is also eliminated. As the tension of the posts on the latches 36 is along the axis including the center pin 37, no forces can be set up to effect the rotation or accidental turning of the latches, but such turning may readily be effected when it is desired to disassemble the binder.

What is claimed is:

1. In a binder including a cover member hav-v ing a coupling post mounted therein for hinging movement, a second cover member provided with means for engaging the free end of the coupling member and a movably mounted member adapted to be moved into locking engagement with the end of the coupling member to prevent its. accidental displacement. I

2. A binder comprising a pair of spaced .binder bars adapted to lie on opposite faces of a leaf stack, coupling posts swingably mounted on one of said bars and adapted to be swung into juxtaposition with the other of said bars, and movably mounted means on saidother binder bar adapted to be moved into locking engagement with said coupling posts. a I

3. A binder for a plurality of loose leaves comprising spaced binder bars adapted to lie onop- 'liposite sides of a leaf stack, coupling posts swing- It will ably mounted at the ends of one of said binder bars and adapted to be rotated into juxtaposition with the bar opposite to that on which they are each mounted, and latch members mounted on the ends of said opposite bar adapted to be rotated into encircling engagement with the free ends of said coupling posts.

4. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of spaced binder bars adaptedto lie on opposite surfaces of a stack of leaves, leaf impaling posts projecting from one bar toward the other, a coupling post rotatably mounted on the end of one of said bars and adapted to be rotated into juxtaposition with the adjacent end of the opposite bar, said coupling post being formed with a portion of reduced diameter and said opposite bar being formed witha slot for receiving the reduced end of the coupling post, and means mounted adjacent said slot adapted to be moved into encircling engagement with said reduced portion and to close said slot.

5. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of spaced binder bars adapted to lie on opposite surfaces of a stack of leaves, one bar being formed at its end portions with swingably mounted coupling posts adapted to be swung into engagement with the ends of the complementary binder bar, leaf inipaling posts extending from each of the binder bars toward the opposite bar, the ends of the last mentioned posts on each bar overlapping the ends of the posts on the opposite bar, and hooked latch members pivoted on the ends of said complementary binder bar adapted to engage the ends of the corresponding coupling posts to retain the coupling posts in assembled position.

6. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of cover members having binder bars disposed adjacent the inner marginal portions thereof, one of said binder bars being formed at an end thereof with a slot and the other of said binder bars having a coupling post hingedadjacent the corresponding end, said post being formed with an extensible headed portion of reduced diameter for entering into the slot, and a latch member having its pivot disposed in the axis of the slot and formed with a portion adapted to encircle said reduced portion below the head thereon to retain the coupling post in its assembled position.

7. In a loose leaf binder, cover members each having a longitudinally extending plate hingedly connected with its rear edge, leaf-engaging posts carried by one of said plates, and additional posts at the opposite ends of said plate, a metal bar adapted to be arranged upon the assembled leaves and also having spaced leaf-engaging posts projecting in one direction therefrom and spaced studs projecting in the opposite direction from said bar, the hinged plate of the other cover member being provided with openings to receive said studs and prevent relative shifting movement between said plate and the bar, and independently operable locking devices mounted upon the opposite ends of the latter plate and releasably enga'geable with the posts at the ends of said first named plate whereby said plates and the cover members are detachably locked in assembled relation with the leaves.

8. In a loose leaf binder, cover members each having a longitudinally extending plate hingedly connected with its rear edge, leaf-engaging posts carried by one of said plates, and additional posts at the opposite ends of, said plate, a metal bar adapted to be arranged upon the assembled leaves and also having spaced leaf engaging posts of the binder, and locking hooks pivotally mounted on the opposite ends of said last named plate and releasably engageable with adjustable parts of the end posts on said first named plate to detachably lock said plates and the cover members in assembled relation with the leaves.

JAY RAYMOND NEWLAND. 

